How to make a better airport

Patna: City airport director Rajender Singh Lahauria has got a bunch of suggestions on how to make air travel easier for the people of the state, and the pointers come from a group of people who fly around for work the most – the Bihar Chamber of Commerce and Industries.

The Chamber has submitted a memorandum – based on of personal experience of its members, including its president P.K. Agrawa – to Lahauria, who has promised to evaluate and consider the suggestions to improve the airport.

“Though 24×7 operations have started at Patna airport, it’s high time that an all-weather landing facility is introduced to ensure flights can take off and land in fog which disturbs flight schedule during winter and bad weather days,” said Chamber president Agrawa.

He pointed out that Gaya airport has the facility to help flights land in foggy weather conditions and suggested that it be developed to cater to more domestic flights.

The chamber have suggested that airlifting facilities be mandatorily available at Patna airport for any medical urgency.

The members have also demanded improved regional connectivity by strengthening infrastructure at the Muzaffarpur, Bhagalpur, Purnea and Raxaul airstrips.

Suggestions for direct flights from Patna to Jaipur, Kathmandu and Bagdogra and from Gaya to Varanasi have also been given, as these are routes on which industrialists and merchants often travel.

As far as Patna airport is concerned, the memorandum advised buses to pick up and drop passengers in the airport premises. It suggested that the departure hall of the upcoming new terminal building be designed in such a manner that people sitting there can see aircraft taking off and landing. They have also asked the airports authority to increase the 10-minute free limit for vehicles that want to pick up and drop passengers.

This is being asked as a majority of vehicles fail to do so because of congestion and lack of space within the airport premises.

The members said there is no such limit at airports in New Delhi. But Lahauria said it wasn’t feasible to extend the 10-minute free limit for vehicles due to space crunch at the airport.

“Calcutta has a 10-minute free limit for vehicles that come to drop or pick up passengers. Bhubaneswar has seven minutes and Ranchi six minutes. In comparison, Patna is not that bad,” Lahauria said.

The members also recounted that contractors engaged in taking care of parking facilities often argue as their clocks show a different time in comparison to the standard time. “We will look into the matter,” Lahauria said.

“In any case the term of the contractor is getting over and another is expected to replace him.”

The chamber has also demanded removal of huge advertisement boards around the conveyor belt at the airport, as those come in the way of passengers collecting their luggage. It has also called for better luggage weighing facilities.

Courtesy: The Telegraph